We Need to Talk! Join me for my first Substack Live this Thurs. @ 2 EDT

I’ll be joined by special guest Marc Schulman, creator of the Tel Aviv Diary Substack.

This has been a genuinely horrific month both in America and the Middle East. America’s leadership has crossed so many red lines toward illiberal rule that it almost makes no sense to say we are headed in that direction. We are there. The occupation of DC, the persecution of political opponents and Blue States, the attempted takeover of the Fed, the assaults on science, health and the environment, the betrayal of Ukraine and - so heart-wrenching for me - the eager enabling of the worst impulses of Israel’s far right, to the chagrin of over a million Israelis who have been marching to stop the bloodshed and bring home the hostages. (And I defy anyone to explain to me how a fascist America with no moral principles is a good thing for Israel - no matter who’s in charge over there).

That’s just August.

So need to talk. Live.

This would seem a good time to reset - and on Thursday at 2 PM Eastern (9 PM in Israel and 11 AM in L.A.), I’ll be sharing my first Substack Live with my go-to resource for all things regarding Israel and world events: historian, educator, author and pundit Marc Schulman. His Tel Aviv Diary has become part of my daily Substack diet. More than most journalists, Marc combines an objective journalist’s eye with a passion for the place he made aliyah to 50 years ago. In these times of perpetual spin, he is thorough, balanced and truthful, and who could ask for more? I’ve known Marc for a long time and am delighted he will be joining me for a live conversation (that will also be recorded and archived). It’s my first Substack Live, so please be patient if there are glitches.

Here’s the link:

Here’s an excerpt from Marc’s heartbreaking dispatch on Tuesday night. Diaspora Jews who love Israel but are so troubled by the actions of the Netanyahu government need to read this and share. And all freedom and democracy-loving Americans need to learn from Israelis the importance of filling the square, no matter how hopeless things seem at the moment. Clearly we have much to discuss.

I am writing this Tel Aviv Diary entry from within a crowd of sad and disheartened people. Week after week we gather, sometimes in even greater numbers—as tonight, when some 350,000 people filled the square—even though we know our government does not care. The cabinet met this evening but did not discuss the hostages. When the meeting ended, its members went out to a restaurant to celebrate what they termed their many “successes.” This stark contrast between the desperate plight of the starving hostages and the ministers’ leisurely dinner underscores the gravity of the moment and the urgent need for action. We stand together to support the families and show them they are not alone, a message we chant repeatedly at every assembly for the hostages. [“We are with you, You are not alone”…]

Today was marked by protests; demonstrations all across Israel on behalf of the hostages. The nationwide action had originally been scheduled for Sunday, one week after the massive protest held the previous weekend. However, by midweek there appeared to be a chance that an agreement with Hamas might be reached, and the plan was put on hold. Only at week’s end did it become clear that the government had decided not to accept the proposal, which would have secured the immediate release of 10 hostages and might have paved the way to ending the war. Instead, it offered only a vague outline for how the conflict might eventually end.

By “vague,” I mean that the plan offers no clear path for implementation, since its terms make it almost inconceivable that Hamas would ever agree to accept them. Once again, we are confronted with the underlying problem: There is no way, in my view, to rid ourselves of Hamas (the outcome we all seek), without designating an alternative in its place. Yet the current Israeli government has so far refused to consider any alternative, particularly one that involves the Palestinian Authority. As a result, we remain deeply stuck, even as Israeli forces begin planning an assault on Gaza City, an operation expected to take many months.

The painful truth is that few of those taking part in today’s demonstrations—from the family members who gathered early this morning in Hostage Square, to the tens of thousands who filled the streets leading to Hostage Square tonight—believe the protests will change the position of the Israeli government’s position in the slightest. Yet there is a shared sense that we cannot remain passive. If nothing else, we can demonstrate. We can stand with the families, show them that the country is behind them, and remind the hostages, those with even limited access to the outside world, that tens of thousands are marching on their behalf, that we care. Beyond that, the question remains: what more can we do?

See you on Thursday!